On This Day, 1999: On 5 June 1999 RAF Tornados flew their first combat missions from Solenzara in Corsica during Operation Allied…
Read the entry →Cold War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
RAF Pilot Sets New Speed Record in the Gloster Meteor
Cold War
On 6 February 1948, RAF pilot W. A. Waterton set a new speed record in the Gloster Meteor, underlining the advance of post-war jet aviation.
Read the article →Vampire Altitude Record Set in the RAF’s Early Jet Age
On 23 March 1948, Group Captain J. Cunningham set a world altitude record in a de Havilland Vampire,…
RAF Supports the Anguilla Airlift in a 1969 Crisis
On 18 March 1969, the RAF helped airlift 300 troops to Anguilla, showing the speed and reach of…
Reserve Flying Units End in a Turning Point for RAF
On 10 March 1957, Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve flying squadrons were disbanded, marking…
Operation Bold Resumes RAF Lincoln Deployments to Malaya
On 1 March 1953, Operation Bold resumed RAF Lincoln deployments to Singapore, reinforcing Operation Firedog during the air…
Canberra Cyprus Run Showed RAF Jet Speed and Reach
On 28 February 1955, Air Vice Marshal J. R. Whitley made a record Canberra flight from Scampton to…
RAF Northern Ireland Troubles: Air Power and Conflict
Explore RAF Northern Ireland Troubles operations, from air bridge and helicopter warfare to intelligence, Special Forces support and…
USAF B-29 Exercise with RAF Fighter Command
On 16 February 1948, USAF B-29 bombers took part in air defence exercises with RAF Fighter Command during…
Britain’s Blue Steel Missile Becomes Operational
On 1 February 1963, RAF Vulcan bombers entered service with the Blue Steel missile, strengthening Britain’s airborne nuclear…
Clement Attlee Announces British Rearmament Plans
On 29 January 1951, Clement Attlee announced a major British rearmament programme in response to rising Cold War…
The RAF Deploys Blackburn Buccaneers to the Gulf
On 26 January 1991, RAF Blackburn Buccaneers reached Bahrain to support laser designation for Tornado strikes during the…
The British Government Approves Atomic Research
On 23 January 1946, the British government approved atomic research at Harwell and plans for an atomic pile,…
RAF Wildenrath Opens in the Federal Republic of Germany
On 15 January 1952, RAF Wildenrath opened in the Federal Republic of Germany as the first of the…